The Princess and the Pirate
by Alexandra Irene Spears
Summary: AU story. Princess Adora, a prisoner of the Horde, escapes but finds herself in a pirates' lair. Can she find her way home to Eternia?
1. Prologue

The Princess and the Pirate

By Alexandra I. Spears

Author's Note: Any familiar characters are not owned by me, but by Mattel or whoever owns them now.

I _nstead of swords-and-sorcery, this is more swords-and-sci-fi. I've been kicking around this idea for quite some time. What if there were no He-Man and She-Ra, but rather just Adam and Adora? And how about a new and interesting origin for Eternia and Etheria? Yes, this is an alternative storyline. I personally grow a bit tired of the dual-identity bit after a while!_

* * *

Prologue

In the thirteenth century, English Franciscan monk Roger Bacon wrote in his _Epistola de Secretis Operibus_ that "cars can be made so that without animals they will move with unbelievable rapidity" and that "flying machines can be constructed so that a man sits in the midst of the machine revolving some engines by which artificial wings are made to beat the air like a flying bird." And those were only a couple of his predictions.

By the middle of the next century, there was a dedicated group of scholars in southern England working to make such things happen, and they were meeting with plenty of success. They had to work in secret, lest the Catholic church denounce them as heretics and sorcerers. Already they were making huge strides, as this group was comprised of some of the greatest intellectual minds of the century. By the time the Great Plague hit, they were experimenting with gates that tapped into wormholes. Special vehicles had been constructed, allowing travel through the wormholes. The scholars had discovered two worlds that were compatible with human life and had built gates, so now they had a way to not one, but two new worlds.

Some of the scholars were sure that the plague would wipe out the entire known world. Word had gone forth among the people that there was a way to escape Europe and the plague, and to start over on a new world. At the time the people were in a panic, as one never knew who would die next. Parents were burying all their children in one fell swoop in some cases. Others went to bed only to be found dead the next morning. It was quickly becoming apparent that "those who pray" could not save them, so even an idea so outlandish as what was being proposed sounded good-better than dying.

Thousands of people made their escape through the two gates, which were later destroyed, as a few of the scholars planned to stay behind and experiment further. In time, the two worlds were named Eternia and Etheria. In each case, a man descended from the Plantagenet kings was proclaimed king, and on Eternia it was a man named Ranulf Fitzroy.

After the mass exodus to the two new worlds, the scholars died during the Inquisition. Knowing that their time was limited, they destroyed their technology as well as their documents. As a result, over the next six hundred years, no one knew exactly how many died during the plague-or that a lot of Europeans had actually escaped the planet.

On each of the worlds, English, which was being spoken by more and more people in fourteenth-century England, continued to develop. Latin and French were still spoken by some, but in time, on each world, English came to be the dominant language.

* * *

In the late twentieth century, a young astronaut by the name of Marlena Glenn was piloting her ship, the _Rainbow Explorer_ , through uncharted space. Unexpectedly, she found herself in a meteor shower-then in a wormhole. After emerging from the wormhole she lost contact with Earth and crash-landed onto Eternia.

By that time, Eternia was a well-populated and relatively peaceful planet. Over time, the House of Fitzroy had become the House of Kingston, due to a woman having acceded the throne four hundred years prior, and Eternia's king was a man by the name of Randor Kingston, who was a direct descendant of Ranulf Fitzroy. He and his best friend, Duncan Mann, who was an inventor and his man-at-arms, found Marlena wounded in her spacecraft.

After Marlena recovered, she and Randor fell in love and married, and two years after their wedding she gave birth to their twins, Prince Adam and Princess Adora. Duncan's wife Teelana gave birth to their daughter Teela a month after the twins' birth.

For their first eighteen years, the twins and their friend Teela had a fairly safe and happy life. Teela was like a sister to Adora, and rumor had it that it wouldn't be long before they became sisters-in-law.


	2. The Horde Invades

The Horde Invades

* * *

Prince Adam and Princess Adora were eighteen-year-old twins. The two were the only children of King Randor and Queen Marlena of Eternia and were each other's best friend and confidante. The two looked very much alike; they had the same golden blond hair and bright blue eyes, inherited from their late paternal grandmother, Queen Adeline.

Teela, daughter of their father's best friend Duncan, was also their friend, though lately everyone was thinking that the relationship between Adam and Teela might turn into something more. She was also eighteen, a month younger than the twins. Her family had their own suite within the massive Royal Palace of Eternia, which meant that she and Adam were never too far away from each other. Teela had red hair like her mother and a temperament to match.

Adam was good-natured and fun-loving. He tended to want to have as much fun as he could get away with, as he explained it, before he had to take on more and more responsibility. Adora, the younger twin by ten minutes, sometimes seemed like an older sister to him, as she tended to be more responsible. She knew that should something happen to Adam and he had no heirs, she would be next in line for the throne of Eternia. She obviously wanted for nothing to happen to her beloved twin, but she believed in being prepared. Adora didn't mind having fun, but she believed that there was a time and a place for it.

* * *

One afternoon, the three teenagers were in the courtyard at the Palace, enjoying the sunny early-spring day. Adam was sitting between the two girls, laughing and joking with them. Mostly he was flirting with Teela, whom he was currently courting; eighteen was the marriageable age on Eternia. Teela and Adora had been introduced to Eternian society together only last month, but Adora wasn't exactly happy with her choice of suitors. She did want to eventually marry and have a family, but she didn't feel ready just yet. She also wanted to make sure that a potential husband wasn't just after a title and wealth; after all, her father was king of the entire planet.

"So you don't like Count Marzo, do you, Sis?" Adam teased.

"I wouldn't marry him if he were the last man on Eternia," Adora said. "I don't really see any hurry to get married. You and Teela will likely be parents within a few years. I just don't want someone to marry me just because my father rules the entire planet."

"I'm sure you'll find someone," said Adam. "I mean, you're a beautiful girl, you're smart, and all that-"  
Suddenly, the trio saw what looked like flyers in the air. "What is that?" Teela asked, pointing.

Some palace guards suddenly appeared. "Your Highnesses-Teela-into the palace at once! We're being invaded!" one of them said, his tone extremely urgent.

"Who's invading?" Adora asked. As far as she knew, Eternia didn't really have any enemies. Sure, there were evil people around, but they were dealt with.

"An army known as the Horde, Your Highness," another guard replied as they ushered the trio inside.

* * *

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, the twins, along with Teela, were kept inside. The Palace sat on top of a huge hill, and down below, in the plains, was where the major battles were taking place. It had been whispered throughout the centuries that there had been a sister world, Etheria, and it turned out that the leader of this army, Hordak, was from Etheria.

Adam and Adora were sitting in the solar together one evening. They'd been on edge, along with the rest of Eternia, for the past couple of weeks, worried about their father, who had never had to deal with an invasion of this size. No doubt Teela was worried about her own father, who was at King Randor's side. The twins were playing chess and trying, without much success, to concentrate on the game. Teela was in her family's suite with her mother.

Suddenly, a woman with light red hair and green eyes, dressed in a green dress, came into the solar: the twins' mother, Queen Marlena. "Adam, Adora, the war is over, the Horde is defeated-and your father is all right!" she told them joyfully.

The twins ran into their mother's arms and hugged her. They were about ready to head into the great hall when there was suddenly a loud explosion and immediately after that, a huge hole in the wall. In stepped a grotesque-looking man the twins recognized as the Horde leader, Hordak.

"You think you can defeat the Horde?" snarled the man, who had chalk-white skin and red eyes-from what the Eternians had heard, the results of genetic modification. He was wearing what appeared to be a jet-pack and he had one of his robot troopers with him. "I am going to take your heirs, as revenge!"

"Run!" Marlena called to her children.

Adam ran down the stairs, calling for help. Adora screamed as Hordak caught her by the arm. "Mother!" she cried.

Marlena took Adora's other arm. "Let go of my daughter, you brute!" she commanded.

"Go after the prince," Hordak commanded the robot as he took out a stun pistol and stunned Marlena.

"Let me go!" Adora cried.

"I have plans for you, girl," Hordak said as he pressed something to Adora's neck.

For Adora, the world went black.

* * *

Adam ran as fast as he could, away from the robot trooper, which was shooting stun beams at him. He was calling out for the guards as he ran.

Finally some guards appeared, and they destroyed the robot. "Mother-Adora-solar," he gasped, out of breath. "Hordak's up there!"

"Get the Prince to safety," one guard barked to another. "Get our men to the solar immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

A guard led Adam to the library, where Teela was sitting with her mother. Apparently Teela had been going through her lessons as a way to keep her mind off the battle. "Adam, what's going on?" she asked.

"Mother and Adora are in the solar and Hordak was after them!" he said, unable to sit down. He was restless. His mother and sister were in danger and he could do nothing to help them.

"The guards will rescue them," Teela said as she stood up and hugged Adam.

Adam and Teela sat together with Teelana for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally Duncan came into the room, looking upset. "Father, what's going on?" Teela asked.

"The Queen is recovering in the infirmary," Duncan replied. "But Adora-Hordak escaped into a gate with her, and the gate closed immediately afterward-he took the gate maker with him. We have no way of getting to her." He sighed. "At least, not at the moment. There's no guarantee he even took her to Etheria."

King Randor came into the room. He went over to Adam, who stood up, and hugged his son. "We'll get Adora back. Duncan's going to do what he can to try to find your sister," he said.

"Father…what will they do to Adora?" Adam asked.

"I don't think I even want to guess, my son," Randor said sadly. "All we can do is hope that she's safe."

"I'll have my fellow scientists at work, trying to locate Etheria," Duncan promised. "From what I understand, when our ancestors first came here from Earth, there were two different gates. This may have been the first gate between Eternia and Etheria to ever have been constructed."

"Yes, please, Duncan," said Randor, his tone almost pleading. "The sooner we can get my little girl back, the better."

Adam hunched forward in his seat and placed his hands over his face. Normally he didn't cry, but his shoulders shook with his sobs. He'd been unable to save his beloved twin sister, and thought went through his head about what might be done to her.

"We'll get Adora back, son," Duncan said gently as he placed a hand on the lad's shoulder. "Hordak won't get away with this."

"I want to see Mother and make sure she's all right," Adam said as he stood up and brushed the tears from his eyes.


	3. Horde Captive

Horde Captive

When Adora came to, she was lying on a cold, damp floor. She opened her eyes and allowed them to adjust to the dim lighting. Sitting up, she saw that she was in what looked like a dungeon cell, about ten feet by six feet. She could guess what the covered hole in the corner was for. The door looked like it was solid steel, with a small barred window toward the top.

She was still wearing the long-sleeved white blouse and blue jumper she'd had on. Still, she felt a chill in here, and she wasn't sure if it was from the dampness, the fact that she was frightened-or both.

The young princess felt a huge wave of loneliness and despair wash over her. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she laid her head on them and started to cry. She wondered if her family was still safe. She knew that Adam had gone for help. Surely her father and his army would be here soon to rescue her.

Wherever "here" was.

The door banged open. Adora sat up straight and looked up as Hordak entered her cell. "Welcome to Etheria, Princess!" he hissed. "Or should I say-slave? Get up!"

Adora got to her feet.

"First rule-no whining or crying," he said as he slapped her across the face, knocking her back against the wall.

Adora managed to keep herself from rubbing her cheek where she'd been slapped, lest she be punished for that as well. It was occurring to her that right now the only way to survive was to obey commands from this tyrant.

"I demand absolute, unquestioning obedience, Princess," Hordak continued. "For now you are to do menial tasks. We'll see how well you do with that. This is my fortress, called the Fright Zone. I may let you roam this fortress freely, but be warned that each and every entrance is closely guarded against anyone trying to escape-and anyone trying to intrude. If you value your life you will stay in this fortress unless accompanied by one of my henchmen. Doors that are locked are off-limits to you unless your presence is requested."

"Yes sir," Adora whispered.

Hordak yanked at her long golden hair. "It's 'Yes, Mighty Hordak' or 'Yes, Mighty One' or something along those lines," he corrected.

"Yes, Mighty One," Adora quavered.

He yanked again at her hair so she was looking into his face. "At least I got one of you. Too bad I didn't get your brother…he'd make a fine Horde officer." He grinned maliciously. "I understand you're untouched. I was thinking about giving you to one of my men as a reward in six months' time, when we have our evaluations. The best soldier gets to enjoy a nice prize. And don't ever think that you're going back to Eternia. The fools have no idea how to get here, and I have the only gate-maker!"

He jerked at her hair and let go so she wound up falling to the floor. "I'll send Force Captain Catra here in a few minutes, she may have something for you to do," he said as he left the cell and slammed the door shut.

Adora curled up into a ball, her back against the wall. This couldn't be. She had to somehow find a way out of here. The idea of being pawed and who knew what else by one of Hordak's crew made her feel nauseous.

All she could do was hope that somehow her father or Duncan could locate Etheria and come and rescue her. She knew that her family cared very much for her and would do what they could to help her. Duncan was a genius; surely he could figure out how to get to Etheria.

* * *

A few months later, Adora was going about her duties around the Fright Zone. She was still wearing the same clothing she'd been wearing when she was abducted. At this point, she was free to roam around the Fright Zone as long as she was actually doing some work, whether it be cleaning or helping the Horde cook. Along the way she had also gleaned information about Etheria and its kingdoms and fiefdoms. She had also found out that there was a group calling themselves the Great Rebellion, whose aim was to free Etheria from Hordak's control.

The Fright Zone, true to its name, was a frightening place. Some of Hordak's men were the products of genetic manipulation. For example, there was Grizzlor, who was no more than a hairy beast of a man-and a simpleton. Catra, one of the force captains, had some feline DNA. Adora oftentimes found herself wondering if she'd be subject to any experimentation.

She was cleaning the dungeons that afternoon, a task she wasn't thrilled with, when she noticed one of the guards heading for the far wall. He didn't notice her, and she wanted to keep it that way, so she ducked into an empty cell and watched quietly.

He looked around, and, satisfied that there was no one watching him, he pressed on one of the bricks that made up the wall, and a door opened, making a hollow scraping sound on the hard floor. Adora peered out cautiously and made sure to look around on occasion, lest one of Hordak's minions catch her. She had enough bruises on her thin body and she didn't wish to add to her collection.

Adora left the dungeon area and set to work making sure there were no cobwebs around the bases of the torches that hung upon the wall-a pointless task, but then, to Hordak, pointless was more or less the point. The guard finally came down the corridor and as he passed her he patted her rear. "Hopefully I get a crack at you, girlie," he grinned.

The best thing to do was just ignore him, and that was what she did. Day in, day out, she had to put up with Hordesmen leering at her and making suggestive comments and gestures at her. She could only guess at what she'd be going through when she was awarded to one of them.

As soon as he'd gone down the corridor, Adora decided she would investigate that secret passageway. She pressed on the brick and the door opened.

It was even darker in here and it smelled of decomposition. Adora pulled on a lever next to the door and it closed, once again making the hollow scraping noise. A few torches in this passageway provided light. The girl made her way down the corridor, taking note of the chained skeletons and rotting corpses in some of the cells. Part of her wanted to just flee back into the main dungeon; the other part of her was curious, wondering why there was a secret dungeon-within-a-dungeon. Most likely it was reserved for those Hordak found particularly troublesome.

Finally, at the end, she saw two cells across from each other. In one cell was a rather handsome, dark-haired man with a beard. In the other was a pretty blonde woman with large blue eyes.

"Who are you?" Adora asked.

The man raised his head. "I am King Micah of the kingdom of Bright Moon, and that is my wife, Queen Angella," he replied weakly. "We've been here for the better part of a year. Hordak conquered our kingdom and imprisoned us. Who are you?"

"I'm Adora, Princess of Eternia. Hordak kidnapped me a few months ago," Adora replied. "Oh, I wish I had the keys to get you out!"

Queen Angella looked up weakly. "Adora…if you can…get out of this place. Go to the Whispering Woods. Our daughter, Princess Glimmer, is one of the rebel leaders. Let her know that we're here. She can send some rebels…."

Adora had heard of the Whispering Woods. It had a kind of shield through which only approved persons could enter, after a DNA scan. Hordak was frustrated because the Horde had been unable to penetrate the woods, which was a rebel safety zone. The woods were only about a mile or so away. "I promise you I will do what I can, Your Majesties," Adora said. "I'm trapped here myself. But I'll find some way."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Micah coughed.

"How will I get into the woods?" Adora asked.

"You won't be able to," said Micah. "Just bump into the shield, then wait. Some rebels will come to question you. Make sure you talk to our daughter-she has her hair dyed pink and she has her mother's big blue eyes. Tell her that her childhood nickname was Sunshine-no one outside our immediately family knows that."

Adora smiled a little at that. Her own parents had called her Little Miss Sunshine when she was a child due to her rather happy disposition, her golden hair, and her brilliant blue eyes. "I will do what I can," she said. "It may take a while. I'm taking a huge risk just by being in here."

"But at least we have hope," Angella murmured.

Adora brushed the tears from her eyes as she quickly but cautiously made her way back into the main dungeon area. There was always the chance that one of Hordak's men might be outside-and see that she had been in a forbidden area. She didn't want to imagine the consequences. She might be starved for a week, or beaten within an inch of her life. She felt that she was lucky she still had all her teeth, she'd been slapped around so much.

She was glad that she had someone to talk to…though doing so posed a risk to her health and safety. Seeing the plight of Bright Moon's king and queen made her more determined to somehow escape the Fright Zone and notify the rebels. That could just as easily have been her own parents in that dungeon.

* * *

It was now time for Hordak's announcement of the evaluation results. Adora, clad in her now-tattered jumper, stood next to his throne, which sat upon a dais that was about fifty feet high. "Let's see who gets first crack at this maiden," Hordak said with an evil chuckle. "Who gets to break in a high-and-mighty princess? My only regret is that her high-and-mighty father isn't here to witness this!"

Adora stood there stoically. She knew that after the first Hordesman had his way with her, she would be fair game for them all. Any children she bore would be raised to serve the Horde in whatever capacity was deemed fit-anything from soldier to prostitute. She could only imagine what her father would think of it…he would be absolutely enraged that his daughter was subjected to such abuse, his future grandchildren likely treated the same. She thought of Micah and Angella, still trapped in the secret dungeon-she wanted to help them so badly. For the last few months she'd managed to sneak in a few visits-as well as some morsels of food she'd managed to sneak. It was very risky because there was no set time where a Hordesman might decide to go in there and harass them. She counted herself lucky that she hadn't been caught so far. Who knew what Hordak would do to her-or to Micah and Angella.

"The winner is General Woods, who is currently at the outpost near Seaworthy," Hordak announced. "Well, Adora, you get to take a little trip to Seaworthy. Catra will take a transport and drive you there. Hope you fixed yourself up nice, Princess!"

Adora descended the steps of the dais, quickly but carefully. Waiting for her at the bottom was Catra, whose hair was dyed in a color somewhere between indigo and navy blue. She had green eyes and her make-up, which consisted primarily of navy blue eyeshadow, was caked on thickly. Her long red nails also served as claws. She even sounded like a cat whenever she spoke.

Next to her was the prison guard who had inadvertently showed her the secret dungeon; apparently he'd be going along for the ride. "Well, I'll still have a shot at you after Woods is done," he chuckled.

Catra took Adora by the upper arm. "Come on, you little wench," she hissed.

* * *

It was storming outside as Adora rode in the transport with Catra and the guard, and it was rather chilly outside. At least the transport was warm inside, though it did very little to calm Adora, who was shivering from fear and anticipation of pain and whatever else was to come. She wanted to cry but that would only give Catra and the guard more reason to poke fun at her and make her even more miserable.

The guard was making crude remarks and Catra was laughing in her howling voice at Adora's discomfort as she drove. Catra was bragging about her exploits with the Hordesman in question and wondering aloud if Adora would be able to take the treatment he would likely dish out. Suddenly there was a loud crashing noise-

-and a large tree landed on top of the transport, splitting it open. It missed Adora, but the guard was pinned under it, probably dead.

After gathering her wits about her, Adora climbed out of the ruined vehicle and into the cold rain. Catra was sprawled across the front bench, whether unconscious or dead Adora had no idea but at this point she didn't care, as it gave her the opportunity to make an escape.

She noticed the keys at the guard's belt, and her eyes widened. Adora quickly unfastened the belt and removed the key ring and put it in the pocket of her jumper. Those must be the keys to those cells in the secret dungeon!

She wanted to head into the woods, but with the lightning striking, she knew it wasn't safe to do so. Besides, her feet were bare.

Catra stirred slightly in the driver's compartment. Adora quickly ran down the road, towards the beach; the town was on the Growling Sea. She passed the turn-off to her left that would have taken her to the outpost, and once the beach loomed into view she went off to her right, where she saw buildings up in the distance, along the waterfront.

A ship was docked at the harbor. Adora's eyes went wide when she saw that the flag on the mast indicated pirates. She had to stay away from that ship. Who knew what they would do to her. Wasn't there any safety in this village?

She headed for the cluster of buildings. She had to find help, somehow find someone who could direct her to the rebels, or at least to Princess Glimmer. Of course the question kept sounding in her head, who could she trust?

Adora soon came upon what looked like a warehouse. She could hear voices coming from it. It was cold and damp out and she was starting to shiver even more; she needed to find someplace warm and dry.

Suddenly a strong hand clamped over her mouth and an arm wound around her waist. "Suppose you tell me what you're doing here, lass," said a masculine voice in her ear.


	4. The Sea Hawk

The Sea Hawk

The hands released her, and Adora turned and faced the man-and liked what she saw, to be honest. Standing before her was a handsome young man with red hair, green eyes, and a beard. "My name is Adora," she said, choosing not to reveal where she was from, nor her royal heritage.

"Captain Jeoff Blithe-known as the Sea Hawk," the man said. "You look like something the cat wouldn't even pick up, much less drag in. I bet you'd be a lot more beautiful if you got a bath and some clean clothes."

Adora wasn't sure what to make of Sea Hawk. "Are you the captain of that ship?" she asked.

"That I am," he grinned, showing off perfect white teeth.

"Maybe I should be going…sorry to bother you, Captain," Adora said as she started to step away. It seemed to her that she'd gone from the frying pan straight into the fire. "I was just looking for a friend's house." She had no idea if he was allied with the Horde in any way and she wasn't about to take that risk.

"In those rags?" he asked as he took her by the elbow. "Where've you been that you're dressed in those? Come on, get a warm bath and get something decent to wear."

"What do you plan to do to me?" Adora asked, realizing that he was a lot stronger than she, and that it would do no good to run. Besides, for all she knew, Catra might be prowling around Seaworthy looking for her.

"Nothing bad," he said, his tone reassuring. He actually seemed to be a decent man.

Adora reluctantly went into the building, which looked like it had once been a tavern or an inn. Men were sitting around the tables chatting, drinking, and playing games. She noticed a short, rather fat man wearing a stocking cap giving her a friendly smile, one that held no trace of lechery, which helped to put her somewhat at ease. The other men simply glanced at her, their expressions a combination of curious and friendly, then went back to what they were doing.

Sea Hawk led her upstairs, to a bathroom. "Throw those old rags out in the hallway, there'll be something for you to wear when you're done. And have a good, long soak," he said.

Adora closed the door and ran some warm water into the old bathtub. While she waited for the tub to fill she stripped off the clothes she'd been wearing for the past six months, making sure to take the key ring out of her pocket first. Opening the door a fraction, she tossed them out, then closed and locked the door.

She noticed a bottle that had bath oil. Opening it, she smelled it, found that it had a pleasant smell. She poured a small amount of it into the tub. A bottle of shampoo sat on the edge of the tub.

Once the tub was full she got in and leaned back. This felt wonderful. She soaked for a long time, then decided to wash her hair.

After about an hour, after she'd soaked and washed her hair, she decided it was time to get out. She opened the drain and stepped out onto the old mat that was next to the tub and reached for the towel. She felt cleaner already.

What was Sea Hawk's motive, though? He was clearly a pirate captain. Why would he help a complete stranger? Unless he wanted something from her-maybe some favors. Which she had not promised him; nor would she.

Wrapping the towel around her skinny, bruised body, she peeked out the door and saw a small bundle of clothes. Down below, in the main room, the men continued their games and averted their eyes, which made her a bit less leery. She took up the bundle and brought it back into the bathroom.

The bundle consisted of a set of long underwear, thick socks, and a long T-shirt, which she put on. She didn't care what it was; it was clean, dry, and warm, and that was what mattered. She used a handy comb to comb the tangles out of her damp hair.

She emerged from the bathroom and went down into the main room. The short, fat man she'd seen earlier approached her. "I'm Sven, first mate," he said by way of introduction. "We may fly a pirate flag, but we just swipe things from the Horde. I've been wanting to convince our captain to aid the Rebellion but he's afraid the Horde will come after us. We're pushing it as it is with breaking into their storehouses…so far they don't know it's us."

"You're not with the Horde?" Adora asked, finding herself trusting this man, who was clearly middle-aged.

"Naw. The Horde killed the captain's parents seven years ago, when the captain was but a lad of sixteen," said Sven. "That's got Captain Sea Hawk afraid to do anything. He just wants to officially stay out of this whole thing and just swipe things from the Horde but there's going to come a time where that's not an option. He is a good man, but he can't sit this out."

"I'll see what I can do," Adora said.

Sven went and sat at a table with his comrades. At that point, Sea Hawk emerged from another room. "Much better," he said as he approached her.

"I'm afraid Horde slaves don't get to have nice, warm baths very often," Adora said softly.

"You're a Horde slave?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I managed to escape," Adora told him. She then told him about her six months of captivity in the Fright Zone and how she'd managed to escape, omitting the part concerning her royal heritage, and the fact that she was from Eternia. "I'd like to get to the Whispering Woods."

"We're not going to Bright Moon, lass," he said, holding his hands up in a "no way, not me" gesture. "I'm not going to have the Horde going after me for being a rebel sympathizer, and if you're smart, you'll just stay here and stay out of the whole fight altogether."

"What can I do to convince you to help me?" Adora asked. "I promised Micah and Angella I'd send help."

"You're a good-hearted young lady, I'll give you that," said Sea Hawk. "Did you really expect to be able to keep that promise, given how tight security is in that place, and in their outposts? They probably won't know any differently. For all they know you're probably at that outpost right now, providing some 'entertainment' for those Horde swabs." She noticed that his eyes flashed a bit-was it with anger?-when he mentioned "entertainment."

"Captain, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try, whether they're aware or not," Adora said softly. "I guess I could just try to get a ride to Bright Moon."

Sea Hawk took her by her shoulders and shook his head. "They'll likely be out looking for you-unless you really do want to take that risk," he pointed out. "You likely know the layout of that place. With the information you have you're a huge threat. I'll let you stay with us but you have to keep a low profile. Here-get something to eat. How long's it been since you had anything?"

"A few days," she replied.

"We've got some soup. Go easy and don't stuff yourself or you'll make yourself sick," he cautioned.

"If I'm such a threat, why do you want me to stay here?" Adora asked, curiosity in her tone.

"Because I can't stand the thought of a pretty girl like you being mistreated by those squids," was his reply as she sat down at a table.

Adora smiled slightly at this. He could have dropped her like a hot potato. If the Horde saw her with Sea Hawk, he would be in trouble.

He also seemed to like her…in much the same way Adam liked Teela.

She sighed as she thought about home. Had Adam proposed to Teela? Would he wait until Adora was rescued before he married Teela-if she was ever rescued?

Her reverie was interrupted by a bowl of soup being placed in front of her and Sea Hawk sitting down next to her with another bowl. "Thank you, Captain," she said gratefully. He didn't have to take her in.

"We'll be heading to the ship and shoving off soon," said Sea Hawk. "We were going to stay here for a few days but if they're going to be looking for you, it's best we get out of here."

"I'm sorry," Adora said as she started to eat her soup.

"Don't worry about it," Sea Hawk told her.

Adora ate her soup slowly. It was quite good, and it seemed to warm her up inside. "Where are we going to go?" she asked.

"I thought we'd just sail around and look for things," he said as he started to eat his own soup. He gazed at her. "You are a very beautiful young lady, and I bet once your bruises go away and you don't look so starved, you'll be even more beautiful."

"Thank you, Captain," Adora said as she blushed and stared into her soup.

"Adora-"

She looked up at him. He seemed like he was trying to think of something to say. "What is it, Captain?" she asked.

"I'm willing to take you to Bright Moon, and help out-but I want you to stay with me. In fact, I want to marry you."

Adora blinked. "We only just met," she said.

"I know…but there's something about you I really like. And whether you realize it or not, you are a temptress. So what do you say?"

"You would help me get these keys and other information to Princess Glimmer, and you would protect me?" Adora asked. She couldn't believe it. She'd only been acquainted with this man for a couple of hours and he'd already proposed to her. A smile played about her lips. The good part about this was, he wouldn't be marrying her for money or power.

"Yes," he said.

"I think I should tell you where I'm really from," Adora said. "I'm from a planet called Eternia. My father rules that world; I'm the Princess of Eternia. Hordak captured me and tried to take my twin brother as well, but failed. He tried to conquer our planet but my father defeated him."

"I thought you didn't really sound like you were from around here," Sea Hawk said, studying her. His shoulders seemed to sag a little. "I bet you have a prince you were going to marry."

"I don't like my choice of suitors," Adora said. "There was this one count that's really determined to marry me, but I don't like him and neither does my father." An idea was forming in her mind, but she didn't know if she should go through with it. She was sure that she was falling in love with Sea Hawk. He was treating her kindly, and he'd asked her to marry him without knowing of her royal background. Not only that, but if she stayed with him, there would be that temptation, as she was attracted to him. Wandering around Etheria alone was not an option.

"I thought you had an air of nobility, but I couldn't figure out why," Sea Hawk said. "You certainly don't come across as just another peasant. And I'd heard that there was a sister world somewhere. I'm assuming that's Eternia?"

Adora nodded. "I'd really like to go home. Hordak might have the gate-maker that he used. But I don't know the first place to look, the Fright Zone is so huge, and I don't know if he still has it." She looked at Sea Hawk. "Would you be willing to go to Eternia, should I find a way back?"

"I don't see why not…so I don't have to deal with the Horde," Sea Hawk said thoughtfully.

"I'll marry you, Captain," Adora said. "There's something about you I like as well."

Sea Hawk grinned. "I have my parents' wedding clothes in my cabin. You're about the same size my mother was. And I have a crew member who can marry us." He looked thoughtful. "I'm sorry it won't be the big wedding you no doubt hoped to have."

"If we get back to Eternia, maybe we can have another ceremony," Adora said.

"I'm fine with that." He leaned forward and kissed her lips softly.

"That was my first kiss," Adora said.

"Mine too," he admitted.

"You're twenty-three and you've never kissed a girl before?" Adora asked, smiling a little.

"Okay, I'm a bit late there. But it was worth the wait."

* * *

The next few hours were filled with excitement. Everyone was boarding the ship and the men were talking excitedly-their captain was about to be married. There would be a wedding in the crew mess, followed by a party.

Adora took Sea Hawk's mother's wedding dress to an empty cabin where she could change. The dress was pure white with a simple, straight skirt that went to her ankles. As she changed into it, part of her wondered if she should really wait until she got home, but she had no idea when that would be. It could be a year or two from now. She wasn't sure what her father would say about this, but she knew him to be a reasonable man and he'd no doubt come to like his son-in-law.

There was a knock at the door. Opening it, she saw Sven, dressed in nicer clothes. "I wondered if you'd like me to give you away to the captain," he said.

Adora smiled. "That'd be nice, Sven," she said.

"He's ready. I'll take you to the crew mess." He offered his bent elbow, and she took it. "I did the same for the captain's mother, since she was orphaned. I was once part of the Falcon's crew." The Falcon had been Sea Hawk's father.

That actually made Adora feel better about not having her own parents present at her wedding. She was helping to carry on a family tradition, or at least start one.

They walked down the corridor to the crew mess. The rest of the crew was gathered together, and the crewman performing the ceremony looked up and smiled. Sea Hawk was standing before him, dressed in a green tunic, waiting for her.

Sven led Adora to the altar, and Sea Hawk took her hand. As the crewman performed the ceremony, Adora couldn't help but think that a little over six months ago she'd been discussing marriage-or wanting to wait-with her twin brother, and here she was, about to marry a man she'd only known for a few hours. She couldn't help but think that Adam would be teasing her mercilessly over this one!

It also hit her that had she been delivered to the Hordesman as planned, she would've had her innocence cruelly taken from her. Instead she would be giving it up to her husband.

Sea Hawk and Adora said their vows, and were pronounced husband and wife, whereupon Sea Hawk gave her a long, deep kiss. The men cheered.

The party afterward was lively. Some of the men had musical instruments, and they played them. Others were dancing.

Sea Hawk spun Adora around as they danced together. She was having fun. It was amazing how much her life was changing; she'd gone from being a Horde slave who was constantly abused to being someone's bride.

"I think it's time we slipped out and had our own private party," Sea Hawk whispered in her ear. He took her hand and led her out of the crew mess.

They came to his-now their-cabin. He lifted her into his arms and carried her into the cabin, where he laid her down on his bed. "Hawk…I've never done this before, please go easy?" she whispered.

"I've never done it either," he said as he bent over her and kissed her lips. "We'll take it slow, okay? We'll both be exploring uncharted territory and we have all night."

* * *

The following morning, Adora woke up wrapped in Sea Hawk's arms. He was still asleep.

Last night had really been something. It hadn't been perfect, but it had still been memorable. She now felt a special kind of bond with him.

His green eyes were fluttering open. "So it wasn't just a good dream last night," he said as he gazed at her. He turned onto his side and propped himself up on his left elbow and pulled the blankets back a little. The outlines of her ribs could be seen beneath her skin. He lightly touched a bruise on her upper left arm. "I promise you, Adora, you will never get that from me," he said. "Only a coward would strike a woman without just cause."

Adora turned onto her right side and snuggled up to him. In reply, he wrapped his arms around her. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, my lovely," he whispered in her ear. "I've had a rough life. I didn't want to let you go."


	5. The Rebellion

The Rebellion

Sea Hawk and Adora had a late breakfast that morning, and as soon as they were finished, they went out onto the main deck, holding hands. At that point, they heard a crewman call out, "Bright Moon Harbor right ahead!"

Seaworthy was at the mouth of the Singing River, which led directly to the Kingdom of Bright Moon, so it wasn't a long journey at all. Adora went to the railing and looked ahead, and Sea Hawk came up beside her and put his arm around her waist.

It wasn't too long before they were docking the ship at the harbor. Adora, dressed in a hooded cloak that went to her ankles, gazed around, noticed how desolate the place looked. Of course, that was to be expected in any kingdom the Horde had taken over. She was glad that she was with her husband and his crew.

"Get this ship back to Seaworthy, Sven," Sea Hawk ordered as he took Adora's hand. He was dressed in a similar cloak.

"Aye-aye, sir," said Sven.

"Why Seaworthy?" asked Adora.

"I don't want the Horde to see my ship here," Sea Hawk explained. "We can make the trip back there ourselves after we get this done."

"Do they know who you are?" Adora asked.

"Yes, the son of the ship captain they killed seven years ago," he replied. "I strongly resemble my late father. He tried to help the rebellion. I was sent threats that if I did so, I could expect a similar fate."

"I didn't know," Adora said softly.

"Yeah, well, I didn't want you to think of me as a coward."

"I don't think you are. But sooner or later you'll likely have to fight them."

"I know," he sighed.

* * *

Sea Hawk and Adora walked through the city of Bright Moon for a time, hand-in-hand. To their right and off in a short distance stood Castle Bright Moon, which Adora knew was currently a Horde base. Adora wasn't sure if any of the robot troopers that occasionally patrolled this city would recognize her, or if any of them had even been programmed to recognize anyone. All around, people still went about their business, though everyone and everything seemed subdued.

"What a depressing place," Sea Hawk murmured.

"That's because the Horde runs it," Adora said.

"Does the Rebellion even have enough people to take over the castle?" Sea Hawk whispered, keeping an eye out for any Hordesmen, and making sure he wouldn't be overheard by any Horde allies or sympathizers.

"I have no idea, Hawk," Adora whispered back truthfully.

"Why don't we stop at the Laughing Swan Inn over there?" Sea Hawk suggested. "Let's get something to eat."

"All right," said Adora.

The two of them went into the inn. Off in the corner sat a young man wearing a hooded cloak; such cloaks seemed to be standard wear around here. Adora's heart skipped a beat when she saw two men wearing Horde uniforms. She didn't recognize them and hopefully they wouldn't recognize her. "Hawk," she whispered uneasily as she gently elbowed his ribs.

"Do they know who you are?" he whispered.

"I doubt it; I've never seen them before," she whispered back.

"Don't worry, I'm here with you." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Just relax and don't act out of place."

A heavyset, graying man wearing an apron made a sweeping bow in the couple's direction. "Welcome to the Laughing Swan Inn. How may we serve you today?" he asked in a gracious tone.

Sea Hawk and Adora gave the innkeeper their order, and he seated them not too far away from the solitary young man in the corner, whose back was to the wall. The inn's staff was certainly friendly enough. Adora felt sorry for them, though, as they obviously had to deal with the Hordesmen who patronized the inn.

Soon their lunch arrived, and the two ate and talked together. Adora noticed that her husband was keeping an eye on things, and she smiled to herself. Sea Hawk was very protective of her, which she found endearing.

"One of those swabs is headed this way," Sea Hawk muttered, barely moving his lips. "I'll handle this."

One of the two Hordesmen wobbled up to the table where Sea Hawk and Adora were sitting, a tankard in his hand. "That's a pretty woman you got there," he grinned.

"She's my wife," Sea Hawk told him, apparently hoping that the Hordesman would take the hint and back off.

"Care to share?" the Hordesman asked. Behind him, at another table, his companion was snickering, obviously enjoying the show.

"Nope," Sea Hawk replied, casually going back to his lunch.

"I'd like to share her with my buddy there," the Hordesman continued.

Adora was tensing up. Her heart was pounding.

"Sorry, buddy, but this woman is mine and there are things I just don't share," Sea Hawk told him. "So take a hike."

The Hordesman reached out to grab Adora by the shoulder, whereupon Sea Hawk stood up straight and pushed him back. "What part of 'no' do you not get?" he asked.

The second Hordesman stood up, ready to help his buddy take on Sea Hawk. That was when Adora noticed the young man also standing up and throwing off his cloak, revealing that he had brown eyes, red hair, and a moustache.

"You'll be sorry you dared to defy the Horde," said the second Hordesman.

The young man stood next to Sea Hawk. That was when Adora noticed that he was wielding a bow, and on his back was a quiver full of arrows. "You'll be sorry you started bothering honest citizens," he told the Hordesmen.

A fight ensued. Adora sat still and watched as her husband and the stranger fought the Hordesmen. The other customers cleared out in a hurry.

The Hordesmen fled the inn, having been defeated. "You wait until Hordak hears about this!" the second Hordesman yelled.

"Tell him Bow sends his regards," the young man replied cockily.

"Thanks for helping us, friend," Sea Hawk told the young man as they shook hands. "I'm Jeoff Blithe, known as the Sea Hawk, and this is my wife Adora."

"I'm Bow," said the young man. "I'm a rebel."

Sea Hawk and Adora looked at each other. "We were headed for the Whispering Woods ourselves," Adora told him. "I have some information about King Micah and Queen Angella. I was a Horde slave but I managed to escape."

Bow raised his eyebrows. "They disappeared over a year ago. Come with me to the Whispering Woods and you can tell us what you know. We'd better hurry, because those two may well come back with reinforcements."

The archer led the couple outside. "I was getting some supplies," he said as he led them to a horse and wagon. "You two can ride in that wagon."

Sea Hawk and Adora got into the wagon and sat on a wooden crate together. Bow went to lead the horse. "C'mon, Arrow," he said. "Let's hurry up and get to the Woods, before more trouble arrives."

After a relatively short ride, the horse and wagon stopped at the entrance to what seemed to be a huge forest. Sea Hawk and Adora got out of the wagon. Bow was standing there with a small device in his hand.

"I need to scan each of you, then program the shield to let you in," he explained. He pointed the device at Sea Hawk. A faint yellow beam came out and lasted for a few seconds. Then Bow pointed the device at what seemed to be just air, and the same beam came out. He repeated the process with Adora.

"You're now clear to enter," Bow grinned.

The air seemed to shimmer briefly as each person passed through the barrier. Bow led the couple to a wooden building. "This is where we keep our maps and plot our strategies," he explained. "My fiancée, Princess Glimmer, should be in here."

Adora smiled. "Congratulations, Bow," she said.

"How long have you two been married?" Bow asked as he reached for the door handle.

"Since yesterday," Sea Hawk replied.

"Newlyweds," Bow grinned. "Somehow I kind of figured that."

Sea Hawk and Adora went into the building. A young woman about the same age as Adora sat at the wooden table, and she had pink hair. She looked up as the newcomers came into the building. "Bow, who've you brought with you?" she asked.

"This is Sea Hawk and Adora. I helped them teach a couple of Hordesmen a lesson. And Adora says she knows about your parents," the archer replied.

"They disappeared," Glimmer said, looking unsure about the whole thing.

"I was a Horde slave. Hordak abducted me from my home six months ago," Adora explained as she and Sea Hawk sat down across from Glimmer. "I saw them in a secret dungeon. I talked to them. I was told that your childhood nickname was Sunshine."

Glimmer's huge blue eyes were shining with yet-unshed tears. "It was," she said.

"I also have a set of keys I lifted off a guard," Adora added, reaching into the deep pocket of her cloak and producing the key ring. "I think they're the right ones." She gave them to Glimmer.

"How did you manage that?" Bow asked.

Adora told Bow and Glimmer about her abduction, and how she had escaped from Catra only yesterday. The rebels were all ears as they listened to her story.

"I had heard about a 'sister world' quite a while back," said Glimmer. "Supposedly my ancestors were somehow related to the royalty on the other world." She grinned. "Looks like we're really distant cousins!"

"I'd heard rumors about the Horde creating a gate to another world," Bow put in. "Around a year ago. Makes sense-they were trying to conquer another world."

"Here I was about to lecture you on calling undue attention to yourself, but I think I'm going to let this slide," Glimmer told Bow with a grin.

"How are we going to get your parents out if it's as carefully guarded as Adora says?" Sea Hawk asked. "And how are we going to find a gate-maker?"

"It's going to take a bit of time," Bow admitted. "You and Adora-and your crew-are welcome to stay here. We should be safe. The Horde has yet to defeat this technology. We have a few scientists here who are constantly working at improving things and trying to stay a few steps ahead of Horde science."

"Eternia seems to be a lot more advanced, though," Adora noted.

"That's probably because Hordak doesn't permit the people to have any technology beyond a certain point-that way he stays a few steps ahead of the people," Glimmer pointed out. She got up. "Allow me to show you two to your quarters."

* * *

Whispering Woods had small wooden buildings scattered throughout. Sea Hawk and Adora were given one that had a bedroom, a bathroom with a shower, and a small living room. Meals were in a kind of mess hall that was in a clearing. In good weather meals generally took place outdoors as well as in the mess hall.

"Not a bad set-up," Sea Hawk said as he and Adora sat down on an old couch in their "new" living room that night after dinner. "Gives us a bit of privacy." He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her.

Adora leaned back and enjoyed this moment with her husband. He might be something of a rogue but he really seemed to care about her. Marriage to him had really not been her only option-it had been her easiest, all things considered. She didn't have to be on the run, fearful that she'd be recaptured and subjected to all kinds of abuse.

"I think we should give the bed a test run," he whispered in her ear. He then got up, pulled her to her feet, and threw her over his shoulder.

"Hawk!" Adora protested laughingly as he carried her into the bedroom. He might be a bit rough-edged but when it came to her, he could actually be quite loving and gentle.

* * *

The next day, Sea Hawk's crew, having been given a message from Whispering Woods, arrived at the woods, and a few rebels "processed" them, as the term was. While that was going on, a meeting was taking place in the map building.

Adora was working with a couple of the rebels in creating a map of the Fright Zone. After six months as a prisoner in the place, she'd learned her way around. She also had a good memory, which proved to be extremely useful in creating the map. There were some rooms she wasn't familiar with, as they'd been off-limits to her, but she was giving the rebels something to work with.

"I think you're the only Horde slave I've ever known that actually escaped," Bow remarked as he looked at the map that had been drawn so far.

"It was only because of the tree landing on the transport," Adora reminded him.

"And we have your husband to thank," Bow added. "You could've wandered out there and been recaptured."

"I actually wanted to stay out of this…but Sven's right, sooner or later I would've been forced to fight," Sea Hawk told him.

"There's really no such thing as neutrality here," Glimmer sighed as she studied a map.

Bow looked thoughtful. "It looks like that secret dungeon is directly underneath this field near the Fright Zone," he said. "Do you suppose there's any way we can dig in?"

Adora shook her head. "No. Not unless you have something that can dig through cement or rock."

"What if you returned to the Fright Zone?" Glimmer asked.

"I'm supposed to be with General Woods," Adora said. "Unless I tell them I'd been wandering around after the accident with the tree."

"No way," said Sea Hawk. "I'm not about to put my wife in danger like that."

"You know where guards are posted and everything," Glimmer said to Adora. "Do you know of any secret passageways?"

"Yes, a few," said Adora. "I managed to explore a few without Hordak knowing." She pointed to a spot on the map she'd drawn. "There's a secret entrance right here."

* * *

That afternoon, Adora, Sea Hawk, Bow, and Glimmer set out on their rescue mission. Bow had a variety of trick arrows in his quiver, and Sea Hawk had his photon cutlass, which he'd acquired after his father's death. Glimmer had her own bow and arrows; she was becoming quite a skilled archer, thanks to Bow teaching her. Adora would be their guide.

Bow had a wagon hitched up to his horse Arrow. He sat on the wagon's seat while the others sat in the wagon itself.

Adora led her husband and new friends to the secret entrance. A small stream coming in from the Singing River ended here, and a gate could be seen about ten feet above their heads. "How do we get in?" asked Bow, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Like this," Adora said quietly as she pressed a well-disguised button.

Immediately a spiral metal staircase seemed to pop out from beneath the gate. The bottom step came to a rest near where Adora was standing. "I kept my eyes and ears open all the time, always looking for a chance to escape," Adora explained as the group ascended the steps. "There's a passcode you have to enter at the top. But it keeps changing. Hawk, your photon cutlass can cut through things."

Sea Hawk pushed a button on his cutlass, and the blade's color went from white to red. "Yes, it can," he said. "Are there any guards around, once we get in?"

"In the next room," Adora replied.

"This cutlass can stun, too," Sea Hawk informed Bow and Glimmer.

"Pretty handy weapon," Bow remarked.

"And quieter than an explosive arrow," Glimmer added.

At the top, the group could see what was on the other side of the gate. Immediately on the other side of the door a staircase led into the chamber, which, like the rest of the Fright Zone, was dark and gloomy. A light glowed red from an adjacent chamber.

Sea Hawk slashed at the gate, cutting it open. That was when an alarm sounded. "Oh, great," he commented as he pushed the button. The blade's color changed to blue. "Bow, Glimmer-you get to the dungeon and get Micah and Angella out of there, since it's in the chamber after this one. Adora, stay with me. This will at least provide a distraction." The group headed down the staircase, ready to fight.

A couple of guards came into the chamber. "Hey-isn't that Adora?" one of them said, clearly surprised to see her.

Sea Hawk slashed at them and stunned them. Bow and Glimmer, unnoticed by the guards, took off running in the direction of the dungeons.

"I think more may be coming," Adora told her husband.

"Let's head towards the dungeons. We need to keep those guys away from Bow and Glimmer," Sea Hawk said as he took Adora's hand.

The two of them went into the next chamber, saw more guards coming their way. The next chamber after that had the dungeons. Sea Hawk and Adora's intent was to keep the guards from going into the dungeon chamber, to give Bow and Glimmer a chance to free Glimmer's parents. Adora had made very sure that her friends knew the right brick to push.

Since Adora was currently second in line for the throne of Eternia, and had been groomed to become Queen in the event Adam died without heirs, she'd been taught how to fight. She put her skills to use while her husband used his own fighting skills and his cutlass to take out the guards. It felt good to be able to fight back for once! Before she'd been alone and vastly outnumbered. Her fighting wasn't quite up to par right now due to the starvation she'd endured, but it was still effective. One guard tried to grab at her, but a good kick in the right area convinced him it wasn't worth the trouble.

The guards lay on the floor, scattered about, stunned by Sea Hawk's cutlass. At that moment, Bow and Glimmer emerged into the chamber, Micah and Angella with them. For the first time, Adora noticed that Queen Angella actually had wings; then she recalled that some Etherians had been victims of Hordak's genetic experiments, and this also affected the victims' children and grandchildren.

"We can't thank you enough, Adora," King Micah said, his voice rather weak. Both of Glimmer's parents looked filthy and underfed.

"Let's get out of here before there are more reinforcements," said Bow. "Better yet-" He aimed an arrow above the entrance to the adjacent chamber and fired. The arrow exploded, causing a small cave-in. Any guards would have to dig through the rubble to get into the chamber the rebels were in, and that would take a while.

"Were there any more prisoners?" Sea Hawk asked.

"Live ones? No," Glimmer sighed.

The group hurried up the staircase and out the gate. One never knew if reinforcements would be coming from the outside. Bow got on the wagon seat and the others hurried up and climbed into the wagon.

"Bow, there are soldiers coming!" Glimmer cried as she pointed.

"Good thing I have another explosive arrow," Bow commented, clearly in his element; he seemed to be something of a daredevil. He quickly fired off the explosive arrow in the direction from which the soldiers were coming, then snapped the reins. "Let's get out of here, Arrow!"

* * *

Back in Whispering Woods that evening, King Micah and Queen Angella were lying down in the infirmary tent. A camp doctor had said that the two would be fine, after a lot of rest.

Adora and her friends were sitting around the campfire. "Once my parents have recovered, they're going to want to take Bright Moon back from the Horde," said Glimmer.

"It may take some time," Bow cautioned her. "In the meantime, we can work on some strategy."


	6. Gearing Up

Gearing Up

A month later, King Micah and Queen Angella had recovered fully from their captivity—physically, at any rate. Their daughter's engagement to Bow was a bit of a surprise, though it wasn't an unpleasant one, as Bow was like a nephew or a son to them. Their rescue and subsequent recovery had ignited the flames of hope in more than a few people. Hordak had put two and two together, however, and figured out that Adora must be behind their rescue, and she was now a much-wanted fugitive with a high price on her head. He had since found out about her marriage to Sea Hawk, thanks to the two thugs at the Laughing Swan Inn, so Sea Hawk was in just as much danger.

It was late October and autumn was in full swing; the months were actually in sync with those back on Earth and on Eternia, as Queen Marlena would have commented. Adora's nineteenth birthday was in two months, on the twenty-second of December, and she found herself realizing that she and her twin brother would in all likelihood spend their birthday apart for the first time. Trying to search the Fright Zone for the gate-maker would be a pretty daunting task with the heightened security and the fact that she was wanted. For all she knew, Hordak might have destroyed it.

Adora was sitting in the map tent, not really feeling well. She'd awakened feeling nauseous and she'd been feeling a bit tired lately. She was trying to concentrate on possible points of attack for the upcoming battle, of which Hordak, as far as anyone knew, was completely unaware.

Sighing, she laid her head down on her hands. She wanted to go home and take Sea Hawk and his crew with her. She wished she knew how long she'd be here. At least Micah and Angella had pretty much taken her under their wing; after all, she too was royalty and she and her husband were regarded as heroes.

"Hey, are you all right?"

Adora looked up, saw Sea Hawk standing at the entrance to the tent. "Just tired and feeling under the weather," she explained.

She felt his hand on her forehead. "You don't seem to be running a fever," he said, his voice sounding thoughtful. A smile tugged at his lips. "Maybe you're pregnant."

Adora sat up straight. It made sense. She quickly counted back the weeks in her mind, realized that her husband might be right. "I-I didn't really expect to get pregnant right away," she said, trying to wrap her head around the idea.

Sea Hawk chuckled. "I would've been surprised if you weren't pregnant by now," he commented. "Why don't we go see the midwife, and find out for sure?" He went over and gently helped her to her feet.

"It's not confirmed yet and you're treating me like I'm fragile," Adora said with a bit of a smile. It was hard to believe…she might be having a child of her own—a grandchild her parents might never know about should she be stranded here for good. A duke or a duchess—on Eternia, grandchildren of the reigning monarch through the female line were dukes and duchesses; through the male line, they were princes and princesses. Should Adora become Queen, her children would be "promoted" to prince or princess.

"I like protecting you. Consider me your knight in shining armor, milady," he said as he put his arm around her shoulders and led her to the building where a midwife had set up her trade.

* * *

Adora sat on the examination bed, a bit stunned. Sea Hawk stood nearby, smiling. The midwife, whose name was Janine, had confirmed that Sea Hawk and Adora were indeed expecting a child, and Adora was five weeks along.

"I'm just a bit concerned about Adora's health," Janine commented. "Her treatment at the hands of the Horde—the beatings and starvation. She's healing but it hasn't been that long. I want to keep an eye on you and the baby, Adora, so I'd like to see you in here every two weeks."

"Do you think my body isn't strong enough to carry a child yet?" Adora asked, curious.

"Obviously you had no problems conceiving, it's just that you were malnourished for a while," Janine replied. "But I can tell your husband has been taking good care of you—you don't look too thin and it looks like your bruises have all gone." She smiled. "I think you'll be fine, I just believe in being cautious."

* * *

Two weeks later, Sea Hawk and Adora were in the village of Devlan, working on recruiting people for King Micah's army. The two of them were wearing hooded cloaks so that they wouldn't be easily recognized. There were some people who had expressed an interest in joining, and Sea Hawk and Adora had been sent to interview them. The process was dangerous, because one never knew if they might be interviewing Horde spies. Hordak might know of the plan to take Bright Moon, despite the rebels' attempts at keeping things quiet—the rebels were aware of this. Fortunately, the people in question knew the passwords the rebels had come up with, and as a result, the rebels now had several more recruits.

Sea Hawk always kept his photon cutlass with him. The cutlass, which he'd gotten from his late father, was a very handy weapon, and Sea Hawk treasured it. Adora kept a bow and arrows on her, as she'd been trained in archery. Bow had been working with her the past several weeks, helping her to refine her skills.

Adora nibbled on a biscuit as they walked from the house where the meeting had taken place, as she had found that constantly nibbling on something helped keep the nausea at bay. Janine had also told her what herbs were best for that kind of thing, as well as good for the baby.

"You all right? You look a bit depressed," Sea Hawk noted as he held her hand.

"My birthday is in a couple of months, I'm expecting a baby, and I'm no closer to getting home," Adora sighed.

"You have me, and then our baby, as your family right now," Sea Hawk said as he squeezed her hand a little. "You're not alone, sweetheart."

Adora nodded even as she felt tears sting her eyes. "You're right, Hawk," she said. In fact, had it not been for Sea Hawk, there was a very real possibility that she would have been recaptured by the Horde. Right now she could have been a toy for Hordak's lackeys.

"One of these days we'll try to get in there and see if he has that gate-maker," Sea Hawk told her. He looked around, making sure there was no one nearby, then said quietly, "Maybe once Bright Moon is taken back from the Horde, we'd have more of a chance."

They continued to walk along through the village. Sea Hawk took Adora's hand and held it as they walked along. "Hard to believe you're going to have my baby," he said.

"Is that so?" snarled a low voice behind them.

Sea Hawk and Adora turned, saw a Hordesman standing there. Adora's eyes widened—she recognized this Hordesman as General Woods, the one to whom she had been promised by Hordak!

"I thought I recognized you," Woods grinned as he stared at Adora with his cold, gray eyes.

"Leave her alone," Sea Hawk said as his hand went to his photon cutlass.

"I don't think so, pirate," Woods said. "So you're the upstart who took my woman, eh?" He shouted seemingly over their shoulders. "Get them!"

Adora glanced over her shoulder long enough to see two Hordesmen coming from behind a house. They'd been ambushed! One grabbed her while the other one kneed her in her abdomen, and Woods started after Sea Hawk, who now had his cutlass out and ready to go.

Adora had been trained in self-defense on Eternia. Even though she was in pain from the blow, she managed to lift her legs—the first Hordesman had her from behind—and deal a blow to the second one. All around her were sounds from the fight. She knew that Sea Hawk was dealing with Woods at the moment.

She suddenly felt something strike her on her head, and everything went black.

* * *

When Adora came to, she found herself in familiar surroundings—she was in the infirmary tent in Whispering Woods, lying down on one of the beds. Sea Hawk was sitting at her bedside, looking troubled. "Hawk," she murmured. "What happened?"

"We were ambushed in Devlan, remember?" he asked quietly. "Three Hordesmen jumped us. One of them knocked you out, you've been out for a few hours." He took a deep breath. "Adora—you had a miscarriage."

This last bit of news hit her almost as hard as the Hordesman had hit her. She had lost the baby. Their baby. Tears came to her eyes.

"Janine said you'll be okay…you're still able to have children…I took care of those Hordesmen," Sea Hawk continued. "They'll bother us no more."

Adora knew exactly what he meant, and also knew that it was self-defense. She realized that it would mean more trouble, since Hordak did not take too kindly to his men losing fights, or losing men. Trying to recruit would be even more risky.

"How are you feeling?" Sea Hawk asked as he gently took her hand.

"I-I don't know," Adora replied. Her head ached a little and there seemed to be some cramping pain in her lower abdomen. She put a hand to her head, felt a bandage there. She was still trying to come to terms with the news she'd just been given, that there would be no baby.

"Just rest," Sea Hawk advised as he gently kissed the back of her hand. "You have a slight concussion, you'll be fine."

* * *

Nearly two months later, it was Adora's nineteenth birthday. She woke up that morning, feeling both excited that it was her birthday, and sad because of her circumstances. It looked like the rebels would never have enough people to take back Bright Moon, and Adora had all but given up on getting home to Eternia.

"Happy birthday, my lovely," Sea Hawk said as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. He lay beside her, propped up on one elbow, and gazed into her eyes. "You don't look any older. Maybe prettier."

Adora had to smile at that. As time went on, she was more and more glad that she'd married Sea Hawk the same day they'd met. He had his faults, same as anyone, but even a blind person could see that he cared deeply for her. He was very protective of her, even more so since her miscarriage, but she really didn't mind, as it made her feel safe.

They got up and got dressed, then went to have breakfast.

* * *

Sea Hawk and Adora were in their building a little later, spending some time together on the couch, when there was a knock at the door. "Remind me to put up a Do Not Disturb sign at some point," Sea Hawk sighed as he got up and went to answer it.

He opened the door, and Bow was standing in the doorway. "Adora, it appears we have a very unexpected birthday surprise for you," the archer said as he peered into the living room.

"What kind of surprise?" Adora asked, her curiosity aroused, as she got up.

Bow led Sea Hawk and Adora to the building where they usually had their meetings, and Adora's eyes widened when she saw who was in there.

"Mother! Father! Adam!" she shrieked as she rushed into the arms of her parents and twin brother.


	7. Family

Family

"Oh, my dear girl!" Marlena said as she hugged her daughter tightly. "I'm so glad you're all right!"

"Duncan managed to find out the location of Etheria and construct his own gate-maker," Randor explained. He gestured to the man standing next to him—Teela's father, Duncan.

"Who's your friend?" Adam asked as he nodded towards Sea Hawk.

Adora realized that she had a bit of explaining to do. "Mother, Father, Adam—this is my husband, Captain Jeoff Blithe. He goes by Sea Hawk," she said.

Randor's eyebrows shot up. "Your husband?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Sea Hawk said. "I married her right after she escaped from the Horde, and I've been taking care of her."

"I think we need to sit down and listen to Adora tell us about what's been going on," said Marlena.

"I'll leave you all alone so you can talk," said Bow.

Sea Hawk and Adora and her family, along with Duncan, sat around the table. Adora told her parents and brother how she had managed to escape the Horde, and how she had met Sea Hawk.

"You two got married the same day you met?" Adam asked, unable to believe this.

"I don't regret it," Adora said.

"Well, under the circumstances, I'm not going to complain. In fact, I welcome you into the family, Captain," Randor said. A mischievous smile spread across his face. "On the bright side, Count Marzo will have to leave you alone."

"Who is Count Marzo?" Sea Hawk asked.

"A count who wants to marry me. None of us likes him," Adora explained. "It's rumored that he's into sorcery."

"Well, my lovely, it sounds like I saved you from another horrific fate," Sea Hawk teased.

"I wouldn't mind knowing when we're going to start having grandchildren," Marlena said with a smile.

Adora sighed. "You almost did, Mother. Hawk and I were ambushed by Hordesmen a couple of months ago and I had a miscarriage."

Marlena reached across the table and took her daughter's hand. "I'm so sorry," she said.

"I'll still be able to have children but so far it hasn't happened yet," Adora said.

"Give it time," said Marlena. "You're still healing." She looked at her new son-in-law. "I can tell you've been taking good care of her, Captain. You have my gratitude."

"And mine," Randor added. "This could have turned out a lot worse."

Adora knew what her father meant. She could have been a plaything for the Hordesmen and her parents could have had grandchildren sired by said Hordesmen. "I'm just sorry you missed our wedding, Father," she said.

"We can still have a celebration when we get you two home with us," said Marlena. "We plan on having a party for your birthday. It just so happened that Duncan found the way to this world today."

"Can we take Sea Hawk's crew with us?" Adora asked.

Randor considered for a few moments. "I don't see why not," he replied. "They're also wanted by the Horde."

* * *

Later that day, Adora was finally home, at the Palace of Eternia. "We are going to have to get you two a suite," Marlena said as Adora peered into her bedroom, which was decorated in shades of pink. "I'm not sure how your husband would feel about sleeping in a pink room."

At the moment, Adam was escorting his new brother-in-law around the palace, so it was just Adora and her mother together. She had to smile at the notion of her husband, a rough-and-tumble kind of man, sleeping among all the pink. "He'd put up with it," Adora said. She looked at her mother. "What do you think of Hawk?"

"I have to admit, your father and I were sure you'd find a prince to marry…but Sea Hawk seems to be of decent character, he wanted to marry you before he knew you were of royal birth, and he took care of you. I was a commoner myself when I married your father," Marlena replied. "I can tell he loves you. I was a bit shocked when you said you married him the day you met him, but I understand why you did it. And you two really seem to connect. I'm perfectly fine with him as my son-in-law." Marlena looked at the simple dress Adora was wearing. "I bet you'll be happy to get into your old clothes."

Adora smiled. "I'm used to this. I had worn that dress for six months—the one I was wearing when Hordak abducted me."

Adam and Sea Hawk came up to them. "It'll take you a while to find your way around," Adam was saying.

Sea Hawk was shaking his head. "I sure fell upstairs. I had no idea that Adora grew up in such a nice place." He took notice of his wife. "So this is your old room?" He peered inside, then whispered in her ear, "Sleeping in there would make me feel like I snuck into a girl's room and seduced her."

"Adora, your cheeks are red!" Adam laughed.

"Oh, stop it, you two!" Adora said as she giggled.

* * *

Two nights later, there was to be a royal ball celebrating the homecoming of Princess Adora and her husband, Captain Sea Hawk. It would also be a celebration of the twins' nineteenth birthday. Sea Hawk and Adora were in their suite, getting ready.

"I hope I don't have to dress up like this too often," Sea Hawk said as he looked down at the finery he was wearing. He had on a tunic and hose, not exactly what he cared to wear. Still, this was his life now; he was married to a princess, and this went with the territory.

Adora had on a blue dress with a form-fitting bodice and full skirt. A diamond-and-sapphire tiara was perched on her head. "You'll get used to it," she said as she laid her hands on his shoulders and kissed him.

"I almost feel unworthy of you, milady," he said.

She wound her arms around his neck. "Hawk…I feel so fortunate to have you," she said. "I love you. My family accepts you. This will take some getting used to."

He smiled. "Sometimes it just feels a bit overwhelming," he confessed. "I'm used to a rougher life. I am not used to being pampered."

Adora looked at the clock that was above the mantel. "It's time, Hawk," she said.

Sea Hawk offered his elbow and she took it. "I hope I remember the way to the ballroom," he said.

Adora laughed lightly. "I'll lead you if I have to."

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Adora, who had been greeting guests, turned and saw Count Marzo. He had longish black hair, gray eyes, and a goatee. She had always thought of him as sinister-looking. "Good evening, Count Marzo," she said, keeping her tone neutral.

"Now that you're back from your ordeal on Etheria, I thought maybe you'd like the chance to get to know me a bit better," he said smoothly.

"You are aware that I am married now?" she said, wanting to get away from this man. He was known to be a womanizer and even before her abduction she'd had no desire to be just one of his harem.

"It doesn't matter," he said quietly, gazing at her intently.

"I think it does, Count," said a masculine voice behind her.

Adora glanced over her shoulder, sighed with relief when she saw her husband. "Count Marzo, my husband—Captain Sea Hawk," she said, trying not to give any indication that she was nervous.

"Oh yes—the pirate," Marzo said, sounding less than thrilled.

"I was just going to ask my princess for a dance," Sea Hawk said, clearly sending Marzo a message—one to the tune of _you'd better keep away from my wife._

"Let's go," said Adora.

"That fellow has some nerve," Sea Hawk said as he led her out to the dance floor. "How'd he get invited?"

"He's a noble. Though if he keeps pushing things, my father may wind up banishing him," Adora explained.

Just then, Adora's father called for attention. The guests all fell silent, and Sea Hawk and Adora turned and looked at the end of the room, where a dais with two thrones was located. King Randor was standing in front of his throne, Queen Marlena beside him. "Captain Sea Hawk, if you would come forward…?"

"What'd I do?" Sea Hawk whispered as he started forth.

Adora grinned. "Don't worry."

She watched as her husband ascended the steps of the dais. Earlier her father had said something about Sea Hawk being created Prince Consort of Eternia. Should Adam die without heirs, Adora would be Queen, with Sea Hawk as King Consort. Adora hadn't told her husband about the ceremony, since it was supposed to be a surprise.

Sea Hawk knelt in front of his wife's parents, and Randor placed a small crown on his head. Then Randor and Marlena took his hands and pulled him to his feet, whereupon he turned and faced the crowd. "I now present to you Jeoff Blithe, Prince Consort of Eternia," Randor announced.

The crowd applauded. Sea Hawk looked a bit stunned; he clearly didn't know what to say.

"I also have another announcement," Randor continued. "I have just received word that my son and Teela are to be married in the spring."

More applause ensued. Adora was grinning from ear to ear. Her husband was now officially a prince and her brother was going to marry Teela, who would become Princess Consort upon the marriage.

She went and found Adam and Teela standing together near the dais. "What a nice surprise, Adam!" she exclaimed as she hugged her brother and her future sister-in-law. Adam was dressed in a blue tunic, similar to what Sea Hawk was wearing, while Teela was in a pink dress not all that different from Adora's dress.

"We will officially be sisters come April," Teela grinned.

* * *

A week after the ball, Adora was sitting in the library, lost in thought. So much had happened in less than a year. She was glad that she could put her ordeal behind her. At least something good had come out of it all—Sea Hawk.

She heard his voice saying, "What're you thinking about, my lovely?"

Adora looked up as her husband sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "I wanted to help Micah and Angella," she said. "I just up and left Etheria and they're still struggling."

"You want to go back and help them?" he asked.

Adora nodded. "They've been good to us."

"Sweetheart, you've given them a lot of information. You've told them everything you know about the Horde. I really don't think there's a lot more you can do," he pointed out.

"They're our friends," Adora said. "I managed to escape from the Horde. I want to prevent other people from going through what I went through—and worse."

"Have you talked to your parents about this?" he asked as he idly played with a lock of her golden hair.

She shook her head. "Not yet. I don't know what they'd think."

"I think they'd miss you terribly, just like they did when you were gone." He sighed. "You're serious about this, aren't you? You can be a very determined young lady." Getting up, he took her hand. "I'll go with you to tell your parents after I talk this over with my crew. I think they're itching for some adventure anyhow."

* * *

"Go back to Etheria? You can't be serious, Adora," Randor protested as he, Marlena, Adam, Adora, and Sea Hawk sat in the den together hours later.

"I want to help. I feel like I've abandoned my new friends," Adora explained. "As soon as the Horde is defeated, we will come home to Eternia for good."

Randor stroked his beard, looking thoughtful as he studied his daughter. "What if I sent an army with you? Strictly voluntary, of course. I am quite certain I can find some volunteers."

"Eternian soldiers fighting Etheria's war?" Marlena asked as she lightly touched her husband's sleeve.

"Who's to say Hordak won't try to conquer Eternia again?" Randor pointed out. "You heard Adora say that he'd intended to take both our children."

Marlena nodded slowly, understanding what her husband was saying.

"We plan on leaving with my crew in a few days," Sea Hawk said. "Adora will be on my ship. We'll be doing a little, er, pirating. Sabotage."

"Sounds like fun," Adam deadpanned.

"We'll be back for your wedding, Adam," Adora promised. "Once we free the kingdom of Bright Moon, it should be smoother sailing, since it's Etheria's ruling kingdom. Right now the castle is one of Hordak's fortresses."

Randor sighed. "Very well, Adora. You seem to know what you're doing, and I understand. I don't have to like it. But at least we'll know where you are—and that your husband is keeping a good eye on you."

* * *

 _Quick note: I have some knowledge of royal titles, specifically those of the UK. But this is Eternia here, and I more or less have my own system made up for Eternia. :)_


	8. Battle for Bright Moon

The Battle for Bright Moon

Sea Hawk, Adora, Sea Hawk's crew, and about one hundred members of King Randor's army stepped through the gate in Duncan's laboratory. They emerged close to Whispering Woods.

The soldiers gazed around at the rather colorful world. The grass was green, but the trees were pastel-colored. "You'll have to wait here while I get one of the rebel leaders," Adora told them. "There is a force field around the Whispering Woods, to keep out the Horde."

"Yes, Your Highness," said one of the soldiers; this was Major Brendan.

Adora went through the force field with Sea Hawk. A little way down a cobblestone path, they encountered Bow. "Sea Hawk! Adora! What're you doing here? I thought you'd be on Eternia!" he exclaimed.

"We decided to come help you free Bright Moon from the Horde, and my father-in-law sent a hundred soldiers with us. They came voluntarily," Sea Hawk explained.

"That, my friend, is good news," Bow said emphatically as he followed his friends to the entrance, so he could "process" the Eternian soldiers. "We'll have them train with what's left of King Micah's army and talk some strategy."

"When were you wanting to start attacking?" Adora asked.

"We were actually thinking in a few weeks," Bow replied. "We've been successful in finding new recruits. People have to be vetted first, of course, to make sure they won't betray us. This is a big deal, because freeing Bright Moon will be a huge turning point in our struggle against the Horde."

* * *

A few days later, Adora and Glimmer were sitting on the grass and watching the soldiers train, Bow and Sea Hawk among them. The weather within the force field was kept constant; it could be snowing outside the force field, but within the invisible dome, it was always nice, even when the sun wasn't shining. The rebels took full advantage of this. Hopefully the Horde wouldn't come up with any way to defeat it, though no doubt it was something Hordak wanted to do.

"Once this battle is over, Bow and I are going to get married. Now that my parents are back and have been recovering, I'll feel better at going ahead with the wedding," Glimmer told her friend.

"Your family certainly has cause to celebrate," Adora smiled. She turned and looked at the pink-haired girl. "My mother likes to say that bad things can happen for good. Had I not been abducted, your parents would likely still be prisoners."

"Or dead," Glimmer said. "I still can't thank you enough, Adora."

"I couldn't just leave them there," Adora said.

The training session was apparently over, as the men were scattering. Sea Hawk came up to Adora. She held up her hands, and he gently pulled her to her feet. "Let's go to our quarters, my lovely," he said.

Hand-in-hand, Sea Hawk and Adora walked to the tiny house they'd been in before. Adora lounged on the couch to read a book while Sea Hawk stripped off his clothes and got into the shower.

About fifteen minutes later the young man emerged, a towel around his waist. "Are you wanting a massage, Hawk?" Adora asked as she put down the book.

"If you don't mind," he said.

Adora smiled. "I don't mind at all."

She followed him into their bedroom, where he lay face-down on their bed. Adora straddled him and started pushing her hands into his muscular back, in the way she knew would help.

"You sure know how to make a man feel better, Adora," Sea Hawk moaned. "Sure glad I snapped you up before anyone else could."

"You sure didn't waste any time," Adora grinned, recalling that he'd managed to convince her to marry him the very day they'd first met. So far she didn't regret it.

"I'll have to reward you for this," Sea Hawk murmured as she continued the massage.

Adora was lost in thought as she worked on her husband's back and shoulders. So far she had not conceived again; at this point it was probably just as well, since there was a battle ahead. Still, she was concerned, although she'd been told by the midwife and the Court Physician on Eternia that she could still have children. "Hawk…would you still love me even if we don't have a child?" she found herself asking.

"Oh, Adora…of course I would," he said. "Just give it time. And it's not like we haven't been working on it."

"I have mixed feelings at this point…what if I'm pregnant and you die in battle? I'd have a fatherless child."

Sea Hawk pushed up a little, indicating that she could get off him. She did so and lay next to him. "Adora—I'd like for you to stop worrying," he said as he rolled onto his side. "I'll be fine. I care about you too much to just up and die on you. We'll throw the Horde out of Bright Moon, and we'll go back to Eternia and raise our family."

"I'm just telling you how I feel, Hawk," Adora said in a small voice.

"Your concerns are duly noted, my lovely," he said as he leaned over her and kissed her.

"I also don't want to lose you," Adora said. "I sometimes wonder if we shouldn't have stayed on Eternia."

"I have my own score to settle with the Horde—for the deaths of my parents. I didn't exactly drag my heels when we came back here," Sea Hawk reminded her. "And if, by chance, I die and you're expecting our child…you'll still have part of me with you."

Adora nodded. That was true enough.

"Now relax, my lovely," he whispered as he tugged at her clothing. "My turn to make you feel good."

* * *

Close to a month went by. The excitement in Whispering Woods was palpable. They were going to attempt it—they were finally going to try to free Castle Bright Moon from the Horde.

Great care had been taken to keep any rumors from getting out that the rebels were planning a massive assault. People had also been sent out to squelch any rumors. The rebels needed the element of surprise. They were aware, though, that the Horde would likely take extra precautions, since King Micah and Queen Angella had been freed.

King Micah, now looking and feeling a lot better since he and his wife had been freed, led the march. The women would be nearby to render any assistance. Adora and Glimmer had been taught nursing and would be able to help should there be any injuries. In Adora's family it was customary for any female members to become nurses during times of war, and it was the same for Glimmer's family.

Sea Hawk kissed his wife just before he joined the march. "Just remember, Adora, I love you," he said.

"You be careful, Hawk," Adora told him, tears in her eyes.

"I will," he told her. "I'll be back, and we'll work on having a baby. Not that it's exactly work," he added, smiling a little. He kissed her again, then went to join the men.

"I'm worried about Bow, you know what a daredevil he is," Glimmer said as she, Adora, and Queen Angella stood and watched them go.

That was certainly true. Bow could be rather cocky at times and tended to show off. No doubt he'd find plenty of opportunities to play hero here. Sea Hawk tended to be very level-headed and to think things out ahead of time. Glimmer probably had more cause for concern. Hopefully, casualties would be kept to a minimum.

It was early February and still winter outside the Whispering Woods. There was no snow on the ground at the moment, and the weather actually wasn't too bad. The conditions were ideal.

* * *

The battle raged all day. Adora, Glimmer, and Angella were kept busy looking after the injured, along with other women who had become nurses. Their men were never far from their thoughts, but they'd learned to push those thoughts aside and concentrate on whatever task was at hand.

There came a point where it was proving difficult for Adora. Towards the evening, Sea Hawk was brought in on a stretcher. He had a gash on the left side of his forehead. "He may have broken some ribs," one of the men carrying the stretcher said.

One of the camp physicians immediately took over. Adora went to assist him, since the other patients did not need anything at the moment. "Hawk," she whispered as she quickly cleaned the wound. She then put a bandage over it.

"He's alive, Adora," the physician said in a reassuring tone. "But it looks like he has a concussion. I'm going to do some scans on him."

There were some machines at one end of the tent that were used for diagnostic purposes. The men carrying the stretcher carefully laid Sea Hawk down on a bed at that end. At that point, Sea Hawk's eyes fluttered open and he let out a groan. Turning his head slightly, he murmured, "Adora…."

"Lie still, Hawk, you've been hurt," Adora said in a quiet voice.

The physician wheeled a machine over to the bed. It had what looked like a metallic arm that reached all the way across the bed. He pushed a few buttons and gazed intently at the screen that was in the arm as he slowly pushed it from the foot of the bed to the head.

"A few cracked ribs," the physician said softly as the arm of the machine passed over Sea Hawk's chest. "Those won't take long to heal, no more than six weeks."

The machine moved up over Sea Hawk's neck, then his head. "Slight concussion, no fracture," the physician said. "I want you to stay in bed and rest for a couple of days, for observation. In the meantime, let's have a good look at that wound."

Sea Hawk winced a little and Adora held his hand as the physician carefully removed the bandage and had a look at the wound. "It's going to need some stitches," he said. He went over to where a cabinet stood and got some things out of a drawer.

Adora wasn't normally all that squeamish when it came to this sort of thing, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for her husband. He seemed to bear it well as the physician applied an anesthetic gel to his forehead, then proceeded with the suturing.

After Sea Hawk's head injury was taken care of, Adora and the physician helped him out of his clothing, so he was down to his underpants. The physician put a special cloth wrap around him that went from his armpits to his waist. "That'll keep things still until your ribs heal up," he said.

* * *

The battle raged for an entire day. The next morning, word came that the rebels were successful, and that Castle Bright Moon had been retaken.

The victory had come at a cost, however. Several dozen men, including a few of the Eternian army, had died during the battle. Dozens more had been injured in varying degrees.

Sea Hawk had been carefully moved to the tiny house he shared with Adora, to help make room for the injured. He was sitting up in bed late that night when Adora came in.

She was exhausted. "You all right, my lovely?" he asked.

"Just taking care of all the wounded. I'm glad it's over and we won," she said as she went into the bathroom and got water running for a nice, warm bubble bath. Going back into the bedroom, she took off her clothes and put them in the hamper, and as soon as the bath was ready she got in.

It was regrettable that some had lost their lives. Adora wasn't sure how to feel as she soaked in the warm water and closed her eyes.

A sound caused her to open her eyes. Sea Hawk was sitting on the edge of the tub, a bandage around his head. He was dressed in just sleep pants, and the wrap was around his torso. "Shouldn't you be resting?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," he said dismissively. "You've really run yourself ragged, Adora."

"I'll live." She looked up at him. "I'm just glad you're alive." She reached up and took his hand, suds on her bare arm.

"And as I promised we'll work on having a child," he grinned.

"Thought you were supposed to take things easy," she reminded him.

"I'm not one to let a few scrapes stop me from anything."

Adora soaked for a time, then got out of the tub and got dressed in a nightgown. She and Sea Hawk got into bed together and she snuggled up to him, careful of his healing ribs; then the two of them fell asleep together.


	9. New Beginnings

New Beginnings

Castle Bright Moon's restoration took a month. The castle was purged of all Horde items, though some things were salvaged as the technology could prove useful. The rest of the kingdom would take a while longer, as homes had been damaged or completely destroyed during the battle. The people who had lost their homes were cared for by others, mainly the rebels. Sea Hawk and Adora chose to stay for the time being; they would be heading back to Eternia the beginning of April, so they could prepare for Adam and Teela's wedding. The rebels had scored a major victory and this promised to be the turning point in their war against the Horde. Adora had already told the rebels what secrets she knew about them and she wouldn't really be needed here anymore.

As soon as the castle was restored, Bow and Glimmer were married in the ball room, on the dais that was at one end. Adora stood with her husband and watched as her friends said their vows to each other. Glimmer was wearing a white wedding dress trimmed with purple and gold, and Bow had on a deep blue tunic. King Micah and Queen Angella, dressed in their finest, stood nearby at the bottom of the dais and watched as their daughter got married to the man she loved. When Glimmer became Queen of Bright Moon, Bow would be King Consort.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the officiant told the couple. "You may now kiss your bride, Bow."

Bow, who tended to be something of a show-off, dipped Glimmer as he kissed her. The guests stood up and applauded, and a few whistles could be heard. Adora laughed as she watched the spectacle. Bow was a good friend, but not the type of man she'd really want to marry were she still single. He and Glimmer were suited to each other.

As soon as the kiss was over, Bow and Glimmer walked together down the steps of the dais, signaling the start of the dance that was to follow. Adora, who was dressed in a strapless blue formal gown that brought out the blue of her eyes, turned to Sea Hawk, who was dressed in a green formal tunic.

"May I have this dance, Princess?" he asked her.

"Of course," she said, smiling, as she took his hand and laid her other hand on his shoulder. His ribs still needed a bit of time to heal fully, so she was careful. At least his head injury seemed to have healed completely; scans had showed no abnormalities.

The mood in the ball room was festive; the people were celebrating their freedom from the Horde, the restoration of Castle Bright Moon, and the wedding of their princess. So much had happened in the past few months. Adora couldn't help but think that had she not been abducted, all this would likely never have happened. Micah and Angella might well have been dead by now. Bright Moon would still be under the thumb of the Horde.

Micah and Angella had invited Sea Hawk and Adora to stay in the castle until they went home to Eternia. Sea Hawk's crew had been invited as well, and they were also having a good time. Some of them had wives they had been able to reunite with, and these women were also having fun, dancing with their husbands. The crew and their wives had decided to go to Eternia, where they could live in peace.

"I got the loveliest lady in here," Sea Hawk told her as he gazed into her eyes. "I'd been wondering if your father would've wanted to have it out with me for marrying you right off the bat."

"My father is reasonable, as you found out," Adora reminded him.

After a few dances, Bow and Glimmer went over to where a huge wedding cake was sitting in a corner. Everyone gathered around and watched as the couple kissed each other over the top of it—a bit difficult, given the height, but it was accomplished, and the guests applauded.

The guests lined up and the cake was served. Sea Hawk and Adora sat on a bench outside the ball room and ate their pieces. There were times when Adora wished that she and Sea Hawk would have had a huge wedding like this, and that her parents and twin brother had attended, but her circumstances had dictated otherwise. At least there had been that celebration when she was reunited with her family, and she was happy with the man she was married to, and that was what counted.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, work continued on the restoration of Bright Moon. It was now three weeks after the wedding, and Adora was sitting on the balcony outside the room she shared with Sea Hawk, who was helping with the building. His ribs were now fully healed and he'd been itching for something to do.

"There you are."

Adora looked up, saw Glimmer standing there. "Hello, Glimmer," Adora said to her friend.

"Adora, I have good news—Bow and I are going to have a baby!"

"Oh, Glimmer, that's wonderful!" Adora said as she stood up and hugged her friend. At the same time, she felt a wave of sadness wash over her, as she hadn't conceived again since her miscarriage. She pushed it away, wanting to be happy for her friend. "When are you due?"

"Late in November," Glimmer replied. She grinned. "Bow's happy. Now I have to deal with him treating me like I'm some fragile doll."

Adora had to smile at that. It sure sounded like Bow. "Did you tell your parents?" she asked.

"Yes, they're really happy, the line is continuing. I'm their only child, after all," Glimmer said. "Bow says he wants a lot of children, just to be sure."

"Nothing wrong with that," said Adora.

That evening, Adora was sitting on the bed she shared with Sea Hawk, lost in thought. It had been four months since her miscarriage. She had been told that she should still be able to have children, so why hadn't she conceived another child yet? Then again, Sea Hawk had been healing from his injuries. But four months and nothing? Surely there wasn't anything wrong with her or her husband, if they'd been able to conceive before.

The door opened, and Sea Hawk came into the room. "You all right?" he asked as he sat down next to her.

"Hawk, I still want to have a baby," she said. "Glimmer's already going to have one."

"As I recall, you conceived when we got married," Sea Hawk reminded her. "The doctors said you're fine."

Adora sighed. "I don't know if there's something wrong with me and no one's found out what yet."

"Maybe you just need to relax," Sea Hawk suggested. "Maybe your body is still healing up, I don't know. What I do know is that I love you just the same."

* * *

The first week of April, Sea Hawk, Adora, and the crew got ready to head to Eternia. They would head for the Growling Sea and wait for the gate to open; they had already consulted with Duncan, who had found a way to put in the coordinates and enlarge the gate so Sea Hawk's ship could fit through. They should find themselves in the Harmony Sea, not too far from the Palace of Eternia.

The crew headed for the ship first to get it ready, and a few days later, Sea Hawk and Adora sailed down the Singing River in a barge with Sven and another crew member. They had to use caution, because the Fright Zone wasn't too far away. Hordak was furious, to say the least, at having lost Bright Moon, and no doubt he'd want revenge. His grip on Etheria had loosened considerably, and more and more people were emboldened.

As the river widened, Adora looked out to the west. At that point the land there was brown and choked with smog, as was all land immediately surrounding the Fright Zone. She shuddered, then she felt her husband's strong hands on her shoulders.

"I'm glad I saved you from that," Sea Hawk said quietly. "You sure you still want to visit on occasion?"

"Yes. Bow, Glimmer, and the rest are my friends," Adora replied. "And I do want to keep tabs on things."

"It doesn't matter to me one way or the other," Sea Hawk said offhandedly.

Before long the river emptied out into the Growling Sea. The barge headed east, away from the Fright Zone. Sea Hawk's ship was docked at a small seaside town not too far from where they were now. The barge was also carrying supplies for that town.

"Two more weeks and my brother will be married," said Adora. "We grew up with Teela. I always knew they'd end up together."

"You never imagined you'd end up with someone like me," Sea Hawk teased.

"I'm glad I did. You wanted me even before you knew I was a princess, where on Eternia everyone knew and wanted a shot at me," Adora recalled. "Had I chosen a man from one of Eternia's royal houses, I could never be sure if he actually loved me for myself or because my father rules Eternia."

Finally, the barge docked, and Sea Hawk, Adora, and the crewmen boarded Sea Hawk's ship. At the appointed time, the portal for Eternia appeared, and they sailed through it.

* * *

Almost as soon as Adora came home with her husband, she was whisked into the whirlwind surrounding the preparations for Adam and Teela's upcoming wedding. Two weeks was just enough time to make clothing for Adora and Sea Hawk; everything else had been done.

Finally the big day arrived—Adam and Teela's big day. All of Eternia had been given a holiday, as its prince and heir to the throne was getting married. There was a huge banquet hall in the palace, and that was to be the venue for the royal wedding.

Adora and Sea Hawk woke up early and started getting ready. They showered and dressed in their finery, and while Sea Hawk combed his hair and beard, Adora sat at her vanity and combed, then brushed, her shoulder-length golden hair. Adora was to be matron of honor, and Sea Hawk best man, a custom her mother had brought with her to Eternia.

Sea Hawk picked up a diamond-and-sapphire tiara from the vanity and gently placed it on her head. "You look beautiful, Adora," he said. "I daresay you look even more beautiful than the bride."

Once they were ready, they headed for the banquet hall. There would be no breakfast in the dining room today, as brunch would be served at the wedding, and no doubt the bride and groom would be too excited to eat anything.

There were a couple of rooms off the banquet hall. Sea Hawk went into the one reserved for the men, Adora into the one for the women. Queen Marlena, Teelana, and Teela were already in there, as was Adora's cousin Edwina, who had red hair, piercing blue eyes, and a bit too much make-up. Adora didn't care much for Edwina, as she was terribly arrogant, but she was family. Edwina seemed to have a crush on Count Marzo and seemed to be jealous that he liked Adora. The princess supposed that every family had its members like Edwina.

Edwina, though, seemed to be behaving herself this time. Of course, the fact that Randor had threatened to banish his own niece from the palace once might have had something to do with it. Adora found herself hoping that Edwina did land Marzo, and the two of them could leave her alone, as Edwina had had a few snarky comments about Adora marrying "some sea-dog." The fact that Adora had married a pirate—and on the day she'd met him, no less—seemed scandalous to Edwina, who had never bothered to consider her younger cousin's circumstances. The thing was, Edwina herself was no stranger to scandal.

"I am so nervous," Teela said as her mother helped her with her make-up.

"You'll be fine, Teela," Adora assured her friend. "You may have the entire planet watching you, but you'll be fine."

"I'm talking about tonight," Teela said quietly.

"All I can say is—take it slowly," Adora told her. She knew her brother—he would be gentle. Still, she'd never really thought of him being intimate with a girl, and she knew that he never had; he'd been saving himself for Teela and their marriage. It was strange, though, to think about one's sibling having that experience.

Adora's experience had been rather unusual, as she and Sea Hawk had gone from strangers to lovers in less than a day. He'd been very gentle with her, though he'd been a bit nervous himself since she was the only woman he'd ever been with and had been concerned about possibly hurting her. All in all, the experience hadn't really been bad, certainly nowhere near a nightmare, and that was likely because they'd taken things slowly that night.

She never regretted marrying him. The alternative had been to risk being caught and abused in horrible ways by the Horde. And she certainly hadn't wanted to be a kept woman.

Finally it was time to get things started. The music could be heard playing in the banquet hall. There was a knock on the door, and Teela opened it. Duncan was standing there. "Ready to go?" he asked her.

As Adora marched down the aisle on the arm of her husband, she noticed Adam standing at the altar, dressed in white and looking a bit nervous. She gave her twin a gentle, reassuring smile as she and Sea Hawk took their places in front of the altar.

The other members of the wedding party made their way down the aisle, and as Teela entered on the arm of her father, the guests in attendance stood up and the musicians played a wedding march. Adam focused his blue eyes on the young woman he'd grown up with, the woman who would be his wife, and eventually his queen.

Adam held his hand out, and Teela took it. Duncan sat down next to his wife, who had tears of joy in her eyes. Adora knew that Duncan and Teelana considered Adam like a son, and now he would be their son-in-law.

Adam and Teela said their vows and exchanged rings. Then they were pronounced husband and wife. At the same time, Teela was named as Princess Consort of Eternia.

* * *

That night, Adora lay in Sea Hawk's arms. She couldn't help but think that her brother and new sister-in-law had likely just experienced the same thing, though they were new at it. "Do you think you could get used to palace life, Hawk?" she asked as she lightly kissed his lips.

"Of course, as long as I'm married to a princess," he said. "Your father doesn't mind the two of us going out on my ship and exploring. I have the best of both worlds here."

* * *

One morning a few weeks later, Adora woke up feeling nauseous. The churning in her stomach told her to get out of bed and into the bathroom immediately, which she did, getting there just in time. Immediately after she threw up she felt better—and she recalled experiencing this before.

As she rinsed her mouth at the sink, Sea Hawk came in. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said. "Hawk—I think I'm pregnant."

A grin broke out on his handsome face. "I told you to give it time, now why don't we get cleaned up and go see the palace midwife?"

Peering into the bedroom and checking the clock, Adora saw that they had an hour before breakfast. Her father didn't like for the family to be late—but if she were to see the midwife and get it confirmed, she was sure he'd excuse their tardiness.

The two of them showered and dressed, then went down the corridors to the infirmary wing. They were entering the midwife's chamber when they saw Adam and Teela emerge. "Teela—are you-?" Adora asked.

"She sure is," Adam grinned. "Now what brings you two here?"

"Adam, I believe you're going to be a father _and_ an uncle," Adora grinned. "Why don't you and Teela wait out here, and we can give our parents our news together?"

* * *

King Randor looked up at his twin children and their spouses as they entered the dining room. "You're late," he said, not sounding particularly angry, but not exactly pleased.

"Well, Your Majesty, Adora and I had to see the midwife," said Teela as the four of them sat down.

Marlena's eyes widened. "Do you mean to tell me?"

"Mother, you and Father have two grandchildren on the way. I'm due on the seventh of January, and Teela is due on the twelfth," Adora said with a grin.

Randor grinned broadly. His son and daughter were going to provide heirs. And no doubt he was wondering what it would be like to be a grandfather.

Adora felt relaxed and more able to be happy for her brother. They had been born together, and now they were going to be parents together. She could hardly wait to find out what being a mother would be like.

* * *

 _That's it for this story! But there will be more stories to come!_

 _Seriously considering signing up for . I'd be writing stories and using my own characters—but with elements from some of my fanfics._


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